The Riddler
by Rainpath
Summary: Cate and Tasha discuss mothers.


**So I really only watched **_**Life Unexpected **_**because Ksenia Solo was in it, and in all honesty Lux sort of struck me as really, really whiny. I noticed that Tasha was always being treated as "second-best" which has got to do a number on someone's self-esteem. I would have loved to see a mother-daughter relationship develop between Tasha and Cate, so I wrote this. It takes place after Tasha gets out of juvie, but before graduation.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Life Unexpected**_** or the song "The Riddler", they belong to Liz Tigelaar and Nightwish respectively.**

* * *

"Riddler, riddler

Ask me why

All mothers beneath the earth and sky

Hold their children's hands for a while

Their hearts forever-yours and mine."

-Nightwish, "The Riddler" (_Oceanborn_, 1998)

It was raining heavily, and Cate was not in a good mood.

She pulled up the hood of her jacket, rushing out of the radio station and to her car as quickly as possible. The downpour suited her emotions, but that didn't mean that she enjoyed the cold raindrops that soaked through the thin material of her cotton sweatshirt.

Ryan had moved out five months ago to take care of a heavily pregnant Julia, and then the child when she gave birth. Although she was happy for them, she really was, it hurt to have to see him everyday at work and be reminded of her failed marriage and her inability to keep a relationship going. All she wanted to do was go home and have a quiet dinner of boxed macaroni and cheese with Lux and watch a few mindless reality shows with the daughter she had just been reunited with. But first, this little situation had to be dealt with.

_It was last night, parent-teacher night, where concerned mothers and fathers could torment teachers about why their perfect angel wasn't getting an A and Cate could inquire about how Lux's issue with disgraphia was coming along. She hated watching her daughter struggle with her homework every night, it only served to remind her how she could have protected the blonde teenager. Naturally, Baze was there, but Cate didn't find his presence as bothersome as she would have a month ago. Ryan's appearance, however, was a different story. It wasn't exactly surprising to see him there, as she knew that he cared for Lux as well, but it made the radio host uncomfortable to have to see him outside of work. _

_She was civil and polite to the both of them, and the group headed to Lux's math class. Cate was dismayed to hear of her daughter's difficulty with trigonometry, but was reassured by Baze telling her that Math was tutoring her. She listened patiently to the teacher, who spoke to the gathered group of parents about upcoming deadlines and the topics covered in the course, but knew that she wanted to ask about what she could do to help Lux succeed. As the other parents picked up their things to talk to more of their children's teachers, Cate hung back with Ryan and Baze. _

"_Well, it's good to know that Lux has such a dedicated support system," the man smiled brightly. "As far as other help, I offer after-school tutoring sessions on Tuesdays and Lux can set up more appointments with me if she feels that she needs it."_

"_Thank you so much," Cate told him, getting ready to leave the classroom. _

"_Yes," Baze shook the teacher's hand. "I'm going to make sure that Lux passes this class with at least a B."_

_Cate glared at him. "She'll get an A," she said firmly. _

"_Wait," the teacher called after them as they started toward the exit. "You're Tasha's guardians, right?"_

"_Yeah," Ryan said turning back to face the man. _

"_Well, the girl is brilliant. She can do math problems in her head like that, and her test scores are phenomenal." He paused. "The only problem is that she has a terrible work ethic." _

"_What do you mean?" Baze asked. Bless his soul, he was one of the few who thought the girl had an actual chance at life._

"_Things like homework not completed on time, not paying attention in class, skipping, things like that. I've spoken to her other teachers, and they all say the same thing. She's a smart girl, just needs a bit of a push." _

_Cate sighed exasperatedly. "What kind of push?"_

"_Nothing big, but if someone could impress on her the importance of doing well in school. Maybe encourage her to take part in some of the extracurricular activities?" _

And so here she was, parked outside of Tasha's apartment building, resenting the sixteen year old girl even more. Sometimes, Cate wasn't sure if she had made the right decision in becoming the foster girl's guardian. She was clearly a problem kid, as evidenced by the first time they had met, when she had stolen Cate's engagement ring. Then, as if to spite she and Ryan for giving her a chance, she went and dragged Lux out to a rave, not to mention almost killing a guy (although, Cate had to admit, she thought that was a bit of karma for what he had done to her daughter). The only reason Cate could bring herself to deal with Tasha was the fact that Lux loved her. Otherwise, she was just another lost cause.

She finally brought herself to get out of the car and make a mad dash to the building. She climbed the two flights of stairs and found herself at the door to the teen's apartment. She knocked, once, twice, and received no response.

"I swear to God, girl, if you are out doing something stupid," Cate said under her breath as she let herself in using the spare key she kept.

The tiny apartment was eerily quiet, and almost immaculate. Cate, more than a little confused, moved from the front door into the combined kitchen and living room. "Tasha?" she called out tentatively.

She noticed the bathroom door slightly open. She could just make out Tasha's mass of black curls through the crack in the door. She pushed it all the way open, and the girl's head shot up. She was leaning over the tub dressed in a black tank top and red plaid pajama pants, eyes rimmed red from crying, and a bottle of sleeping pills in her hand. Her cell phone lay on the floor beside her. Cate's heart jumped into her throat.

"Cate," Recognition dawned on Tasha's features. She attempted to wipe the tears away, and noticed that woman staring at the pill bottle. "I- I just," she turned her head away. "I don't know."

Cate went into overdrive. She snatched the pills away from her. "What are you thinking?" She yelled. After all they had done for her…!

She instantly softened when Tasha's eyes filled with tears again. She hated seeing anyone in so much pain. She kneeled down next to the girl and gathered her into her arms, her voice gentle and soothing as she whispered, "It's alright, it's alright."

Heavy sobs wracked her thin body, and Cate could feel the vertebrae of her spine through her tank top as she ran a hand over Tasha's back. When was last time she ate something?

It was a few minutes before the crying subsided. When she finally pulled away, she wiped at her blue eyes again, muttering an uncharacteristically shy "Sorry."

"Why would you even think to do something like that?" Cate asked, holding up the sleeping pills.

Tasha shrugged. "Why not?"

Cate gaped at her. She tried to think of something to respond to that, but no words came. Tasha continued.

"I tried to call my mom," she gestured to the cell phone. "She was annoyed that I called. She doesn't want me calling the house, and she said she'd prefer it if I just left her and her family alone."

"Tasha…"

The dark-haired girl shook her head. "She doesn't consider me her daughter. I guess she made that pretty clear."

Cate couldn't think of anything to say. Now that she had Lux back, she couldn't even stomach the thought of letting her go again. How a mother could know her daughter her entire sixteen years and still not want her was a mystery to the older woman.

The teenager stood up shakily and plastered on a fake smile through her tears. "Whatever. I can't change her, and there's no use in trying. I'm sorry about…" She trailed off, glancing at the ground ashamedly. "I shouldn't have brought my problems into your life," she said quietly.

Cate was rethinking everything she had concluded about the girl. She had always considered Tasha an extension of Lux, as her daughter's loser best friend. Cate had felt sorry for her, she was obviously troubled and had been abandoned by both of her parents, but she'd had her own major issues to deal with when the teen had come into her life. Tasha was a very strong person, however, she was still young and there's only so much pain one person can take in a certain amount of time. This girl had no family, and essentially, no one who cared for her besides Lux, who also had her personal experiences to heal from. She was the legal tie between Cate and Ryan, who had taken less and less interest in her life since his son was born. Baze liked her, Cate knew, but she wasn't sure if he was as dedicated to her as he was to his own daughter. With sudden clarity, the full picture of the girl's situation came to Cate like a smack in the face. Tasha was utterly _alone_.

She locked her brown eyes with Tasha's icy blue. She placed her hand over the teen's, guiding her out of the bathroom. "Come here, honey." She followed, staring intently at the floor and dragging her feet. Cate sat her down at the two-person table and rummaged through the nearly bare cabinets before finding a box of Irish Breakfast tea bags. She began to boil water in a pot, casting glances at a silent Tasha every so often. The girl sat almost listlessly, her head down, eyes closed. Cate sighed. She fetched two plain mugs she'd bought from the dollar store and let the tea steep for a minute before bringing both mugs and the sugar shaker to the table.

The silence persisted for a few moments more, before Cate broke it when she said, "You know, I felt abandoned by my father when he left."

Tasha's gaze lifted, meeting Cate's eyes once again. "Me too. I thought he loved me."

Cate did not know what she was getting herself into, she just wanted to let the girl know that she was there for her, regardless of her previous attitude toward her. "It's just that some people are not equipped for parenthood. I definitely wasn't when I got pregnant with Lux. My father didn't want anything to do with me or my sister, though he tried to hide it. He left because of himself, it didn't have anything to do with my mom, my sister, or me. You father was probably the same. His decision was a selfish one, but it has more to do with him than with you."

Tasha shifted uncomfortably. "And my mom? Because until I was thirteen, she acted like she loved me too. And as soon as she got a second chance, a new family, she didn't. All of a sudden. She left me to the foster system, even though she knew I hated it and how bad it was. Was it some kind of punishment?" Her blue eyes glossed over with the threat of tears again.

"Punishment for what, sweetie?" Cate asked gently.

Tasha sighed, looking briefly at the ceiling. "For rejecting her. She was high on my birthday one year, and I told her I never wanted to see her again. So I guess this really is my fault. I have no one to blame but myself." Her last sentence was barely more than a whisper. "Everyone leaves. Even Lux. She has you guys now, what does she need me for?"

"You have us too," Cate told her. The teen smiled a little.

"I appreciate everything you've done for me. Really, I do. But for once, I want someone to care for a reason other than because I'm Lux's best friend. Lux suddenly has this whole amazing group of people who love her and want what's best for her. I'm kind of jealous. Actually, I'm really jealous." Tasha took a sip of her tea, trying to hide her face behind the mug.

There it was, the silence again.

"Your mom isn't punishing you," Cate said finally. "She's trying to protect herself. You remind her of the darkest period of her life, and she can't face that, not even to help you out. She wants a second chance, and she can't do that with a reminder of her failure at every turn. And she doesn't want her young kids to ask questions."

On some level, Tasha always knew that. It didn't stop her mother's abandonment from stinging, though. "I just want her back. I'm so, so sorry I ever pushed her away, and now I've lost her for good." She could no longer contain the weeping and placed her bony hands over her face. "I used to fantasize, when I was little, that she'd get clean and children's services would let me live with her full-time. I never expected her to not want me."

Cate reached across the table and took one of Tasha's hands in her own. "Lux wants you. Ryan wants you. Baze thinks you're the next queen of basketball, and that means he definitely wants you." Cate wasn't sure if this all was true, but if she could include Tasha in their giant, screwed up family, they'd all grow to love her as if she were their own. Her next words were sincere. "I want you too."

Tasha took a deep, shaky breath. "Thank you," she said, wiping her eyes with her free hand. "Thank you so much."

Cate got up from her seat and hugged the girl, who stiffened at the touch at first, but then wrapped her arms around the older woman.

"Now, why don't you come and have dinner with Lux and I."

Tasha smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. They'd have to work on that tonight during dinner. "Okay," she said. "As long as you're not cooking."

Cate laughed, which caused Tasha to join her. The laugh was genuine, which made Cate feel better.

"How about we pick up some quesadillas on the way home?" Cate asked, pulling away from the hug. She grabbed her jacket off the counter and gestured for Tasha to follow her.

"Sounds good," Tasha replied, slipping into her old, worn sneakers.

"Tasha." Cate said, suddenly serious again.

"Yeah?" The girl looked up.

"Always remember that you have a family with us. You are always, always welcome. And not just because of Lux. She brought you into our lives, but we love you for you."

The mixture of shock and pure happiness that graced the girl's features was well worth the small white lie Cate was sure would become truth.


End file.
